Carpet on trailer bunks: do you really need it?

[Elkins45]

I have to replace one of my trailer bunks (long story involving a week-long trip where the lake level dropped dramatically between launching and loading in a shallow lake) and I was wondering if I really need to go to the trouble and expense of buying and installing carpet? The boat in question is a 16ft aluminum V hull that probably weighs no more than 1100 pounds. Is the purpose of the carpet just to protect the finish of the boat or is is supposed to make it easier to winch the boat? I figure I will replace both bunks because the trailer is 13 years old now and I might as well do them both while I’m at it. Other that looks and expectations why not just give them a good coat of epoxy paint or some other sealer? Or just leave them bare and install those slick plastic pads that are supposed to make winching easier?

[MN Fisher]

Skip the wood bunks all together.

 

https://www.ultimatebunkboards.com/

[GaryH]

I agree plastic bunks for alluminum boat are the ticket. Boat slides on and off easily. I wouldn't use on a glass boat for fear of scratching.

[rdj735]

Never heard of these before. Have you seen any issues with them being too slick? Any problem sliding off the trailer before you can walk to the front of the boat and hook the winch?

[MN Fisher]

Just now, rdj735 said:

Never heard of these before. Have you seen any issues with them being too slick? Any problem sliding off the trailer before you can walk to the front of the boat and hook the winch?

Best person to ask is @A-Jay as he installed them a year ago(?) under his Lund Pro-V

[A-Jay]

5 minutes ago, rdj735 said:

Never heard of these before. Have you seen any issues with them being too slick? Any problem sliding off the trailer before you can walk to the front of the boat and hook the winch?

 

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Best person to ask is @A-Jay as he installed them a year ago(?) under his Lund Pro-V

They work great and I would never use anything else.

FYI - the original carpet bunks retain a ton of grime, sand & grit and actually mark the bottom of a rig far more than this product; which does not of that.

Here's more info . . .

 

A-Jay

[NHBull]

I went with these and love them

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pacific-Slide-Trailer-Pads/dp/B002IV6RCO/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlvT8BRDeARIsAACRFiWPKcnupMyhfIoJKGy7Y6eRzV9RW8VJ4v22NDWWohN5HK49CP4qgwYaAnHmEALw_wcB&hvadid=473186847521&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002321&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14074412671158155408&hvtargid=kwd-308388328500&hydadcr=14259_10023112&keywords=teflon+boat+trailer+kids&qid=1604156103&sr=8-9&tag=googhydr-20

[A-Jay]

15 minutes ago, NHBull said:

I went with these and love them

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pacific-Slide-Trailer-Pads/dp/B002IV6RCO/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlvT8BRDeARIsAACRFiWPKcnupMyhfIoJKGy7Y6eRzV9RW8VJ4v22NDWWohN5HK49CP4qgwYaAnHmEALw_wcB&hvadid=473186847521&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002321&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14074412671158155408&hvtargid=kwd-308388328500&hydadcr=14259_10023112&keywords=teflon+boat+trailer+kids&qid=1604156103&sr=8-9&tag=googhydr-20

Nice.

As time goes on, keeping a Very Close eye on the integrity of the bunk wood

may be a solid plan

A-Jay

[MN Fisher]

15 minutes ago, NHBull said:

I went with these and love them

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ironwood-Pacific-Slide-Trailer-Pads/dp/B002IV6RCO/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlvT8BRDeARIsAACRFiWPKcnupMyhfIoJKGy7Y6eRzV9RW8VJ4v22NDWWohN5HK49CP4qgwYaAnHmEALw_wcB&hvadid=473186847521&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002321&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=14074412671158155408&hvtargid=kwd-308388328500&hydadcr=14259_10023112&keywords=teflon+boat+trailer+kids&qid=1604156103&sr=8-9&tag=googhydr-20

I did similar for the canoe trailer - but a different brand. They've been working great for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Caliber-23011-Marine-Slide-Pack/dp/B06XY7FP4D/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=trailer+slide&qid=1604157115&sr=8-6

 

 

Just now, A-Jay said:

Nice.

As time goes on, keeping a Very Close eye on the integrity of the bunk wood

may be a solid plan

A-Jay

Ya, since I've still got a wood base...rotting can be an issue in the future.

[Elkins45]

Thanks for all the info. I’m going to pick up some from one of those Amazon links.

[Shimano_1]

I've debated those ultimate bunks for a while. Great concept.  However...I know me and after years of having carpeted bunks I'd forget how slick those are and have an accident.  I always wait til the back end of my boat is in or really close to the water but it'll stay put with the carpet. If it weren't for that worry I'd probably try em myself.  Good luck!

[rdj735]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to start looking for other people with these around here. These sound fantastic for shallow ramps, but I also put in at a couple steep ramps, and I can imagine a terrible scene of me trying to walk the trailer to connect the front of the boat, then cranking it up the trailer for 15'. ?

[Alex from GA]

Keep the engine running in gear, put the hook on the bow, go back and kill the engine.

[TOXIC]

Couple of things to remember about bunks.  With a tin rig make sure if you use wood that it is not pressure treated.  At least with the older pressure treated it would corrode the tin boats.  When I redid my wood/carpeted bunks on my Ranger trailer, I pulled the boat on the bunks before I tightened them down to make sure they went flush and had no high spots.  I got a little wet but it was worth it.  

[Elkins45]

4 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Couple of things to remember about bunks.  With a tin rig make sure if you use wood that it is not pressure treated.  At least with the older pressure treated it would corrode the tin boats.

I wonder if that applies with plastic bunk pads? Seems like the pressure treated wood would never actually touch the hull.

[MN Fisher]

36 minutes ago, Elkins45 said:

I wonder if that applies with plastic bunk pads? Seems like the pressure treated wood would never actually touch the hull.

If you're putting the plastic pads on like I have on the canoe trailer - no, it wouldn't. If you're sticking with carpet, then yes it would - the chemicals in the wood would seep through the wet carpet.

[Fishes in trees]

I put the ultimate bunk boards on my trailer a number of years ago, right now I don't remember exactly how many years ago.   The first few times I went fishing, I was aware of how slick the boards were and the boat floated off the trailer pretty easily.

 

This was easily countered by leaving the boat kinda loosely hooked up until you climbed into it, then lean down and unhook the boat.  It was never a " problem " and  I never had an accident.

 

Fast forward to now - a few years later  and the boat kinda seem to stick to the ultimate bunk boards when they are dry.

I still don't unhook the boat until I'm in it, but that is more due to paranoia than anything else.

[TnRiver46]

I would be interested in hearing if anyone has tried lumber without carpet 

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

I put the ultimate bunk boards on my trailer a number of years ago, right now I don't remember exactly how many years ago.   The first few times I went fishing, I was aware of how slick the boards were and the boat floated off the trailer pretty easily.

 

This was easily countered by leaving the boat kinda loosely hooked up until you climbed into it, then lean down and unhook the boat.  It was never a " problem " and  I never had an accident.

 

Fast forward to now - a few years later  and the boat kinda seem to stick to the ultimate bunk boards when they are dry.

I still don't unhook the boat until I'm in it, but that is more due to paranoia than anything else.

Perhaps try cleaning them with a mild soap and water and then wipe them down with a protectant.  Armour all will work.  I use 303.  Restores the slickness pretty fast.

A-Jay 

[BassNJake]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I would be interested in hearing if anyone has tried lumber without carpet 

At the Chick I saw a guy with 2 pieces of schedule 40 pipe for bunks for an express boat

[gim]

I had some issues with my bunks on my trailer this season.  I have a 2015 Ranger RT178 which is aluminum bass boat.  The trailer was brand new and came with the boat.  In July, I had the back corner of the bunk carpet rip and the wood bunk was exposed.  I put it off for about a week and the next time I unloaded/loaded my boat, the rip got worse so more wood was exposed.  I figured this might happen.  I didn't put off fixing it any longer because its obvious that the exposed wood degrades quicker.  The first time I fixed it, I didn't buy a wide enough roll of bunk carpet.  I installed in the wrong way too, wrapping a "patch" around the ripped portion.  The very next time, it ripped again quite easily.  I bought a much wider roll of carpet the second time and replaced a much larger section.  It held up the rest of the season quite nicely.

 

A couple points that I'd like to make: make sure you use don't put off replacing the bunk carpet very long if you see a tear or hole.  It will only get worse.  Also, make sure you buy the right size bunk carpet the first time!

[heavyduty]

I had glide slicks on carpeted bunks on my trailer when I bought it. I fish the river 99% of the time and need the ease of roller bunks to launch and load during low water conditions. I got these from Etrailer. Galvanized rails lagged to salt treated 2x6's. The rollers do not have bearings, just a bolt through, so there is a little resistance. You still have to push the boat off the trailer but much easier for one person. 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

^sweet rig!!! 

33 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I had some issues with my bunks on my trailer this season.  I have a 2015 Ranger RT178 which is aluminum bass boat.  The trailer was brand new and came with the boat.  In July, I had the back corner of the bunk carpet rip and the wood bunk was exposed.  I put it off for about a week and the next time I unloaded/loaded my boat, the rip got worse so more wood was exposed.  I figured this might happen.  I didn't put off fixing it any longer because its obvious that the exposed wood degrades quicker.  The first time I fixed it, I didn't buy a wide enough roll of bunk carpet.  I installed in the wrong way too, wrapping a "patch" around the ripped portion.  The very next time, it ripped again quite easily.  I bought a much wider roll of carpet the second time and replaced a much larger section.  It held up the rest of the season quite nicely.

 

A couple points that I'd like to make: make sure you use don't put off replacing the bunk carpet very long if you see a tear or hole.  It will only get worse.  Also, make sure you buy the right size bunk carpet the first time!

Thanks for that, will do new carpet next time I launch my bigger boat 

[Fishes in trees]

I'm ok with the notion of my plastic bunk boards being a little sticky at the start of the day.  When I launch by myself - which is most of the time - park the trailer at the correct depth - climb in & unhook - start up the big motor and a little power and it pops right off.

On the few occasions where I have help launching my boat - I'm in the boat - unhooked - buddy at the wheel of the fishing truck - back up six or eight inches and hit the brakes and the boat pops off the trailer and floats off.  Drive off and park the boat & trailer at that point.

[Elkins45]

I launch by myself 99% of the time. I tie a long bow rope to the truck and float the boat completely off the trailer, pull-up a bit, then get out and pull it back to shore.